Africa-Press – Botswana. Member of Parliament for Gaborone North, Mr Mpho Balopi has promised to look into allegations of Ward Development Committees (WDCs) being prohibited from erecting permanent structures in their plots.
Mr Balopi told a kgotla meeting in Block 8 recently that if the allegations were true, it would be unfair as just, like Village Development Committees, WDCs needed property to raise revenue .
“I am shocked to learn that you are not allowed to mount anything permanent, and if that’s true it would be unfair because just like VDCs, WDCs also need properties like houses to rent out and be self-sustainable,” he said.
On other issues, Mr Balopi urged the constituents to take farming seriously to help the country achieve food security.
He said COVID-19 had shown that overreliance on food imports was risky, hence government’s decision to ban imports of some horticultural products as a way to promote local agricultural production.
The MP said the review of ISPAAD was also meant to stimulate the agricultural sector, adding that one provision of the new ISPAAD would be production based assistance to farmers.
He said that one of the reasons ISPAAD was reviewed was the realisation that Batswana were feeding on crumbs in their own land because of their unwillingness to roll up their sleeves and work.
He said Batswana had tracts of land that either sat idle or was rented out to foreigners, which did not benefit the local economy much, hence the review of the programme.
Meanwhile, Mr Balopi appreciated all those who contributed to the constitutional review.
Briefing the meeting earlier, the area WDC chairperson, Mr Mogotsi Motshegwe expressed disappointment that they were prohibited from erecting permanent structures in the plots they have been legally allocated.
That, he said, made it difficult for WDCs to be self-sustaining, as they could not build any property to rent out.
“What worries us more is that VDCs are allowed to build permanent structures, and we wonder what is different about the land in villages and cities,” he said.
Mr Motshegwe also said there was need for an additional WDC as the area had outgrown one committee.
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